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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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W. R. RONEY, W. W. CHURCHILL 8: J. T. ARNOLD.

I BAR AGTUATING DEVICE. No. 586,976.

Ins auto 7w (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. R. RONEY. W. W. GHURGHILL & J. T. ARNOLD.

BAR AOTUATING'DB VIGB.

No. 586,976. Patented July '27, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM R. RONEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, WILLIAM \V.

OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN T. ARNOLD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE WESTINGHOUSE, CHURCH, KERR & COMPANY, OF

ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

BAR-ACTUATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,976, dated July 27, 1897'. Application filed May 23, 1896. Serial No. 592,715. on) model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,WILLIAM R. RoNEY, of .Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, WIL- LIAM W. OHURoHILL, of New York, New York county, New York, and JOHN T. ARNOLD, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Grate-Bar-Actu atin g Devices; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in grates for furnaces of that class wherein a plurality of grate-bars are arranged transversely of the furnace in an inclined orstepped position, with the inner edge of one baroverlapping the outer edge of the subjacent bar, and wherein actuating connections are provided for giving rocking motion to said gratebars to form automatic stoking apparatus such as is illustrated generally in Letters Patent Nos. 409,304, 409,305, and 409,650, which were granted to William R. Roney on the 20th day of August, 1889.

The invention consists in improved construction in actuating connections for transmitting motion to the grate-bars, as hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the front part of the furnace and of the grate therein, showing the arrangement of the grate-bar-actuating devices. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the grate-actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail rear elevation of the agitatorarm. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the crank connection, taken on line 5. f Fig. 3. Fig.

6 is a side view of the connecting-bar. Fig. 7 is a detail section of the sliding connection between the agitator-arm and the connectingrod which connects the same with the grate,

foot or dumping grate.

taken on line '7 7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is acrosssection on line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is aview of the tappet or tumbler block detached from other parts.

First referring briefly to the general illustration given in Fig. 1, A indicates one of the side walls of the furnaces, B the front wall thereof, and C a portion of the bridge-wall.

D indicates the lower part of the side bearer, which rests on the furnace-floor opposite the Said dumping-grate is omitted, as not concerned in the present invention; but it occupies when in place a horizontal position, extending transversely across the furnace at the bottom of the main grate, as shown in said prior patents.

E indicates as a whole an inclined grate composed of a series of transversely-arranged horizontal grate-bars E E, arranged in stepped order, with the front edge of each bar overhanging the rear edge portion of the next bar below it. Each bar E consists of a flat top plate and a depending stiffeningflange and is provided at its ends with trunnions e e, which rest in notches d, formed in the inclined upper parts D of the side bearers, which are secured at the opposite sides of the fire-boxadjacent to the side walls of the furnace.- Preferably, and as shown in the present instance, the said upper parts D are formed in one piece with the lower parts D of the side bearers.

F is an external coal hopper or magazine, and G a dead-plate forming an inward extension of the inclined bottom F of the coal-hopper; H, a reciprocating actuating-bar with which each of the individual grate-bars has operative connection, and I a connecting-rod by means of which reciprocatory motion is communicated to the actuating-bar H.

In order to prevent the fine coal and slack from falling through between the grate-bars, the rear edges of each of the first or upper six grate-bars is provided with an unturned flange e, such as has heretofore been used. This flange is omitted from the lower gratebars, inasmuch as it is found in practice that the fine coal which remains unoonsumed 1s- CHURCHILL,

sufficiently coked before it reaches this part of the grate to prevent its falling through between the bars.

Upon the lower edge of the vertical web or main body portion of each grate-bar is formed a depending lug or arm 6 of cylindric form at its end and adapted to rest within a correspondingly-shaped recess 7L, formed in the upper edge of the reciprocating grate-actuating bar II. In order to support said bar H in position beneath the grate-bars with its several notches 7i engaged with the said arms (2 the bar H is provided at points intermediate of its length with recesses or sockets h h, arranged opposite the depending lugs or arms e of two of the grate-bars and provided with apertures 7L 7L2, formed in axial alinement with the centers of the cylindric ends of said arms and through which extend pivot-bolts e which pass also through said arms. Suitable cotter-pins e are inserted through the ends of said bolts to retain the bar II in position thereon.

The actuating mechanism, by means of which reciproeatory motion is communicated to the bar II, is made as follows:

J designates a transversely-arranged continuously-rotating shaft mounted in suitable bracket-supports J upon the front wall of the furnace beneath the hopper F. The shaft J is provided with a crank J with which is connected a connecting-bar K.

L designates an agitator lever or arm mounted at its upper end upon suitable bearings, herein shown as consisting of a rockshaft M, mounted in depending parts of the end walls F of the hopper F. The lower end of the agitator-arm L is connected with the connecting-bar K, so as to receive oscillatory motion from the crank J the form of connection between said parts consisting of a cylindric recess or socket I, (see Fig. 7,) with which is engaged a correspondiugly-shaped boss 7;, formed upon the front end of the connecting-bar K and held within said recess by means of a bolt 7;. The extreme lower end of said agitator-lever L has the form of a reetangular loop Z, within which loop is mounted a tappet-block N, provided with oppositelyextending trunnions a a, which engage bearing-apertures Z Z in the parallel sides of the loop l. The trunnions of the tappet-bloek N are preferably and as herein shown made integral with the block, said block being first formed complete and arranged within a mold and the agitator-arm L thereafter cast around the same. The tappet-block N is centrally apertured, as at a, and provided with square end faces a a arranged at right angles to the axis of said aperture 12..

The forward end of the connecting-rod I is arranged to extend through the aperture a of the tappet-block N, and is provided at each side of said block with adjustingnuts 2' i, which serve as tappet-shoulders for contact with the end faces of said block N, which latter is adapted to act thereon to impart a reciprocatory movement to the connecting-rod I and grate-actuating bar II, connected therewith. The rod I is screw-threaded to receive both of the nuts 11 and i, and in order to protect the screw-threads between the nuts from abrasion by contact with the bore of the tappet-block said parts are constructed embracing features of construction heretofore shown in earlier patents, the same being made as follows, Fig. 7: One of the nuts-in this case the nut i-is provided with a tube or sleeve i having a smooth interior surface which fits loosely over the screw-threaded part of the rod in its part which is inserted through the block N. Said sleeve is secured to the nut i by means of an external screw-thread on the sleeve engaging an internal screwthread in the counterbored outer part of the nut. The other nut i" is also provided with a tubular projection or sheath i which latter extends over the outer end of the sleeve 2*, and the end of which forms the tappet shoulder or surface upon which the tappet-block N acts. Obviously the construction thus described enables the adjusting-nuts to be separated to varying distances apart, as desired, without exposing the screw-thread to contact with the tappet-block N, while the extent of the screwthreaded portion of the rod I enables both of said nuts ii to be adjusted endwise in the rod to vary the time of the throw.

In the operation of the apparatus the shaft J is driven continuously from any suitable source of power and motion is communicated to the agitator-lever L through the connecting-bar K. The agitator-lever will in turn communicate a reciprocatory motion to the connecting-rod I, but with more or less lost motion between said parts, depending upon the distance apart of the tappet-nuts upon the connecting-rod. It may be noted in this connection that the construction of the agitator-lever and the tappet-bloek mounted therein is such that the latter will oscillate in its bearings freely and always present its end shoulder or tappet-surfaces squarely to the contact-faces of the tappet-nuts at either side thereof. The reciprocatory motion transmitted to the bar II will obviously rock the grate-bars upon their trunnions, imparting a motion thereto which feeds the coal downwardly over the grate in a well-understood manner.

lVhile we have herein shown the link or connecting-bar K as connected with the shaft J by means of a crank, yet it will be obvious that an eccentric form of connection may be substituted for the crank, as desired, without departing from the invention.

0, Fig. 1, indicates an arch of fire-brick which is built between the side walls A A of the furnace over the upper part of the grate, with its front edge at some distance inwardly from the front wall B of the furnace, and 1 a filling of fire-brick interposed between said.

arch and said front wall and so constructed as to provide openings for the admission of air downwardly at the front part of the furnace, in the manner set forth in prior patents, No. 409,650, dated August 20, 1889, and No. 429,797, dated June 10, 1890. As an improved construction in the filling-pieces P the same is supported from the front Wall B independently of the arch O by means of metal brackets Q, attached to the front wall and engaging the rear edges of the said filling-pieces. The filling-pieces P preferably consist of tiles or fire-brick arranged in an inclined position and so shaped as to properly engage supporting parts on the front wall and bracket. Such supporting parts, as herein shown, consist of a horizontal rib I), cast on the inner surface of the -front walland engaging grooves 19 in the front edges of the filling-pieces, and inwardly-projecting hooked ends g on the inner ends of the brackets Q, adapted to engage grooves or recesses 19 in the inner faces of said filling-pieces.

A general advantage gained by supporting the filling-pieces P uponthe front wall of the furnace independentlyof the arch is that when said filling-pieces rest on and are supported by the front wall and arch expansion of the parts by heat is found to result in the breaking of the filling-pieces under the strain thereby produced, while in the construction described the metal brackets expand at the same time with the filling-pieces, and any strain of a character to break the filling-pieces is thereby avoided.

Air-passages have heretofore been provided at the front end of the furnace by means of holes extending through the filling-pieces, but

in connection with the construction herein described it is preferred to leave a space between the arch 0 and the filling-pieces P, through which the air in sufficient quantities may enter.

We claim as our invention- 1. Inafurnaceegrate-actuating mechanism, the combination of an agitator-arm, an aper tured tappet-block provided with oppositelyexten ding trunnions mounted in said agitatorarm, a grate-actuatin g rod extending through said tappet-block, tappet-shoulders on said rod, and means for actuating the agitatorarm, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with an agitator-arm, an apertured tappetblock provided with oppositely-extending trunnions mounted in said agitator-arm, a grate-actuating rod extending through said tappet-block, tappet-shoulders on said blocks and means for agitating the agitator-arm, said tappet-block and its trunnions being cast in one piece within a socket within said agitator-arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a 'reciprocatory I grate-actuating bar of means for imparting reci rocator motion to said bar com risin b a continuously-rotatingshaft, a pivotallymounted agitator-arm, an oscillatory tappetblock pivotally mounted in the free end of said arm and provided with an aperture extending therethrough, an actuating-rod connected at one end with the grate-actuating bar and extending at its other end through the tappet-block, tappet-shoulders mounted upon said rod at each side of the tappet-block, and a connecting -bar extending from the crank of the crank-shaft to the agitator-arm, substantially as set forth.

4E. The combination with a grate-actuating bar, of means for imparting reciprocatory motion thereto, comprising a continuouslyrotating cran k-shaf t, a pivotally-mounted agitator-arm slotted at its free end, an apertured tappet-block provided at opposite sides with integral trunnions engaging bearing-apertures in the opposite sides of the slotted end of the agitator-arm, a rod connected at one end with the grate-actuating bar and arranged to extend at its other end through the apertured tappet-block, tappet-nuts threaded upon said connecting-rod at each side of said tappet-block, and a connecting-rod extending from the crank of the crank-shaft to the agitator-arm, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with an inclined grate and an arch extending over the upper part of the grate, of filling-pieces inserted between the furnace-front and the arch, said fillingpieces being supported by the furnace-front free from and independent of the arch and a space being provided between the said fillingpieces and the arch to admit air to the front of the furnace, substantially as'described.

6. The combination with an inclined grate, a furnace-front, and an arch extending over the upper part of the grate and terminating at a distance from the said front, of fillingpieces inserted between the furnace-front and the arch, and means for supporting said filling-pieces independently of the arch comprising projecting parts on the furnace-front for engaging the .front edge of the filling-pieces, and flanged brackets attached to the furnacefront for supporting the rear edge of the filling-pieces, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. RONEY. WVILLIAM W. CHURCHILL. JOHN T. ARNOLD. 

